After watching Banksy’s “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” followed by Banksy’s new TV show “The Antics Roadshow” which focuses on the history of public pranks and various forms of anarchy, we wanted to pay tribute to Banksy. Much like the sand demon competition that is only meant to be temporary, too often Banksy’s street graffiti lives a very short time before it’s removed. Pity that, cause we think Banksy is talented, funny, and can make some very loud statements with his art with which we agree. Although we know that any talk of graffiti seems to ignite a war of opinions ranging from “it’s art” to “it’s vandalism,” the rebel spirit of raging against the machine appeals to some of us. The artist himself said, “Is graffiti art or vandalism? That word has a lot of negative connotations and it alienates people, so no, I don’t like to use the word ‘art’ at all.” Here are some of Banksy’s graffiti that speaks loudly to us, mixed in with quotes gathered from around the web that are purportedly pure Banksy. [45 Photos]

Share this:

Banksy often uses his stenciling technique to show contempt for the government which considers graffiti to be vandalism and not art. Photo #1 by Banksy

The dreaded surveillance society. Banksy’s graffiti usually carries a message that is anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment. “Your mind is working at its best when you’re being paranoid. You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation at high speed with total clarity,” ~ quote by Banksy (Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall). Photo #2 by by nolifebeforecoffeeâ™¡

Pure Banksy: The bad artists imitate, the great artists steal. “Become good at cheating and you never need to become good at anything else,” ~ Banksy (Wall and Piece). Photo #3 by Kevin Rawlings

Art work by Banksy, on the Thekla Social entertainment boat, central Bristol, England. The image of Death is supposedly based on a 19th century etching illustrating the pestilence of The Great Stink. Banksy Photo #4 by Adrian Pingstone

Wikipedia says Banksy supports the following movements: Anti-war, Anti-capitalism, Anti-fascism, Anti-imperialism, Anti-authoritarianism, Anarchism, and Existentialism. “I need someone to protect me from all the measures they take in order to protect me,” ~ quote by Banksy. Banksy Photo #5 by Chris Beckett

Banksy art displayed at “Barely Legal” gallery show in LA. “Think from outside the box, collapse the box and take a f***king knife to it,” ~ quote by Banksy. Banksy Photo #6 by Bit Boy

Banksy on Anonymous as was displayed at “Barely Legal” art show. “I don’t know why people are so keen to put the details of their private life in public. They forget that invisibility is a superpower,” ~ quote by Banksy. Banksy Photo #7 by Bit Boy

Banksy’s “self-harming hoodie” as seen at Cans Festival, Leake St. May Bank Holiday Weekend. “If you want to say something and have people listen then you have to wear a mask. If you want to be honest then you have to live a lie,” ~ Banksy. Banksy Photo #8 by Leeky-Boy

Banksy on Guantanemo ~ “I like to think I have the guts to stand up anonymously in a western democracy and call for things no-one else believes in – like peace and justice and freedom.” Photo #9 by Banksy

“It’s a very frustrated feeling you get when the only people with good photos of you work are the police department,” ~ Banksy. Banksy Photo #11 by jvoves

Banksy Hits San Francisco. “People who get up early in the morning cause war, death and famine,” ~ Banksy (Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall). Photo #12 by Banksy

“Art is not like other culture because its success is not made by its audience. The public fill concert halls and cinemas every day, we read novels by the millions, and buy records by the billions. ‘We the people’ affect the making and quality of most of our culture, but not our art,” ~ Banksy. Banksy Photo #13 by eddiedangerous

“Nothing in the world is more common than unsuccessful people with talent, leave the house before you find something worth staying in for,” ~ quote by Banksy. Photo #15 by Banksy

“A lot of mothers will do anything for their children, except let them be themselves,” ~ Banksy (Wall and Piece). Photo #16 by Banksy

“The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules. It’s people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages,” ~ Banksy. Photo #17 by Banksy

Ozone’s Angel: Banksy created this Angel with skull memoriam of Ozone who was hit by an underground train in Barking, East London. After Banksy painted this angel wearing a bullet-proof vest and holding a skull, he updated his website to say, “The last time I hit this spot I painted a crap picture of two men in banana costumes waving hand guns. A few weeks later a writer called Ozone completely dogged it and then wrote ‘If it’s better next time I’ll leave it’ in the bottom corner. When we lost Ozone we lost a fearless graffiti writer and as it turns out a pretty perceptive art critic. Ozone â€“ rest in peace.” Banksy Photo #18 by Darren from London, England

“A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to,” ~ Banksy. Photo #19 by Banksy

Time reported on Banksy’s style: “What exactly that brand represents has never been entirely clear. Banksy is a paradox: he used his anonymity to court attention and became a commercial success by condemning consumer culture.” Banksy allegedly wrote in an an e-mail to the New Yorker magazine, “I originally set out to try and save the world, but now I’m not sure I like it enough.” Photo #20 by Banksy

“Once upon a time there was a bear and a bee who lived in a wood and were the best of friends. All summer long the bee collected nectar from morning to night while the bear lay on his back basking in the long grass. When winter came the bear realised he had nothing to eat and thought to himself ‘I hope that busy little bee will share some of his honey with me.’ But the bee was nowhere to be found – he had died of a stress induced coronary disease,” ~ Banksy (Wall and Piece). Banksy Photo #22 by kris beltran

“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they’re having a p*ss,” ~ Banksy (Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall). Photo #24 by Stefan Kloo

“Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place,” ~ quote by Banksy (Wall and Piece). Photo #28 by Banksy

Banksy seems to think ‘highly’ of politicians. Some people think very highly of Banksy and have paid huge amounts of money for his art. According to Wikipedia, an example of the Banksy effect: “In February 2007, the owners of a house with a Banksy mural on the side in Bristol decided to sell the house through Red Propeller art gallery after offers fell through because the prospective buyers wanted to remove the mural. It is listed as a mural that comes with a house attached.” Photo #29 by Banksy

“The human race is the most stupid and unfair kind of race. A lot of the runners don’t even get decent sneakers or clean drinking water. Some runners are born with a massive head start, every possible help along the way and still the referees seem to be on their side. It’s not surprising a lot of people have given up compeating altogether and gone to sit in the grandstand, eat junk and shout abuse. What the human race needs is a lot more streakers,” ~ Banksy (Cut It Out). Photo #30 by Banksy

“Some people represent authority without ever possessing any of their own,” ~ Banksy (Wall and Piece). Photo #31 by Banksy

Death comes in all forms. “I mean, they say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time,” ~ Banksy. Banksy Photo #33 by Stuart

“Remember crime against property is not real crime. People look at an oil painting and admire the use of brushstrokes to convey meaning. People look at a graffiti painting and admire the use of a drainpipe to gain access,” ~ Banksy. Photo #36 by Banksy

“Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody draw whatever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall – it’s wet,” ~ Banksy (Wall and Piece). Photo #37 by Banksy

Kentucky fox. Banksy on ‘Brandalism’: “Any advertisement in public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It belongs to you. It’s yours to take, rearrange and re-use. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.” Photo #38 by Banksy

“We can’t do anything to change the world until capitalism crumbles. In the meantime we should all go shopping to console ourselves,” Banksy. Photo #39 by Banksy

“Painting something that defies the law of the land is good. Painting something that defies the law of the land and the law of gravity at the same time is ideal,” ~ Banksy (Wall and Piece). Photo #40 by Banksy

“I’d been painting rats for three years before someone said ‘that’s a clever anagram of art’ and I had to pretend I’d known that all along,” ~ Banksy. Banksy Photo #41 by LoopZilla

“The Art we look at is made by only a select few. A small group create, promote, purchase, exhibit and decide the success of Art. Only a few hundred people in the world have any real say. When you go to an Art gallery you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires…” ~ Banksy. Banksy Photo #43 by ethur.org/home.asp

While he is talented, he is still nothing more than any other graffiti criminal if he is doing this on others property without their permission. The fact that most of his vandalism is designed to ‘make people think’ really doesn’t matter. He needs to be punished in the same way other graffiti vandals are.

o dont tell me that bullshit.
im sure you would love it if banksy wrote graffiti’d on your wall
and plus, this might be one of the only ways other than protesting to get messages heard by the government, or to
even let people know of what is happening to the world today.

He’s being an artist, saying it like it is, how is that a crime? No one complains about cave paintings! Artists make a fortune, like Lady GaGa, for being autotuned yet he gives inspiration raw and for free 😀

Hahaha… it is only a crime because some ignorant cold people decided that it is. Would you rather he paid thousands of dollars to have his work “legally” displayed, and have the permission of the “authorities”? Please.. we do not need anybody’s permission to express ourselves whether we are “damaging” public property as we do it. The government has destroyed nearly every other beautiful aspect of life, and you agreeing with them, makes you just like them: ignorant and cold. Stop being so naive, and learn to appreciate the people who do not take anything from the world. Unlike most of the population who have learned to survive fully on people’s handouts and other people’s opinions and regulations. “Crimes are not committed by people who break the rules but by people following the rules. It’s people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages” – BANKSY

Calling him a graffiti criminal is absurd. He is an amazing artist and activist. People buy his work as well as with some pieces city officials leave it up to the community whether or not they want it displayed.

Banksy is a legend. Dont call him a vandal. He’s not one of your little hoodrats with a can of paint. Saying he needs to be punished for art is stupid. His art is original. That hidiously plain wall that adds nothing to society except a barrier, in my opinion life as we know it needs some cheering up.

Banksy is one of the few people out there putting the sad state of world politics in the faces of everyone walking down the street because we all know the media isn’t giving you the whole truth. There is a difference between street artists and kids scribbling their names in black paint and there is a difference between Banksy and everyone else, to call him a criminal would be criminalizing alternative and progressive thought. I personally would rather walk down the street surrounded by beautiful murals with hundreds of stories and thousands of colors than blank grey and white walls with the occasional poorly matched squares covering said works of art.

It seems none of you understand how government works and either does he. There really is no such thing as anarchism. Because as soon as “anarchism” is in place, SOMEONE will start to lead and bam! You have a government. Whether you like it or not, there is always going to be a government. So what would you rather have? Communism, dictatorship, or democracy. I for one prefer democracy.
And the fact that he’s doing all of his art illegally too. I mean yes his work is moving and I believe all artists should be able to express theyre opinion, but this is STILL illegal. Your defiling property. How would you like it if I drew something “moving” on your house? Based on MY opinions about life and government. I would absolutely have no problem with his work if he found another way to express his work to the everyday public. In fact I would applaud his efforts because that would be a real man at work.

Our species has not evolved enough for anarchy; Social Darwinism still rules.
I find that 99% of the population who drop words like “Democracy”, “Communism”, “Fascism”, “Socialism”, etc.; can rarely define those systems with any semblance of accuracy. To think this nation is a “democracy” shows how prevalent ignorance truly is.

rules were made to be broken. if you follow the exact definition of “criminal” than the american revolution was a crimespree since the americans broke the kings “laws.” You may think you’re right, but you’re only a monkey following rules put into place to make you dance like a chimp for 9 hours a day for paper to buy shit you don’t even need. it’s idiots like you who keep this system going strong.

Opinions are extremely vulgar, everyone in high class has the exact same opinion. Hmm… I wonder who is in high class here.. the people who admire beautiful art, or the people who have been brainwashed by the authorites 🙂 Yes.. everybody has opinions (unfortunately) but not everybody’s opinion is a correct one sweetie.

I know that I’m late to this, but I see a lot of arguing about how he should be or should not be punished. Some say his graffiti is an “acceptable” crime. I would agree with this, if graffiti was actually a crime.

[…] at Dogwood Parade, Knoxville, Tennessee. Photo #8 by Frank Kehren Dragons protecting the work of graffiti superhero Banksy. Photo #9 by Cyndy Poon Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebration 2012. This dragon is on display at […]

Come now people. This is ridiculous. Because Banksy isn’t just about art, he is about politics. His works represent the “things that no one else believes in”. But thats the thing. He is so hypocritical! OF COURSE other people believe in these things. Banksy makes all us normal, law abiding people sound like robots with no opinion of our own – like we need guidance from a vandal. His form of artwork is an illusion. He fools us all into thinking that it is something new. In fact, his form of art, even the way he portrays it – none of it is new. Compare, say, Banksy to Leonardo Da Vinci. Now, THAT man was a genius, ahead of his time, inspiring. Think about it. Banksy is just a graffiti artist who applies politics to get his point across, just as Da Vinci was a painter who applied art to represent religion. I think that we need to get over Banksy. He isn’t as awesome as we make him sound,

The owners of those totally derelict buildings should actually PAY him for improving his property…Without his graffiti, all these buildings would be shit holes … at least they give you something to look at besides dank dirty walls in a dank dirty city!

LOL…are you insane? evidently spouting off like some moron who doesn’t understand the word “art” and rebellion, you obviously do need guidance. Considering the state of apathetic stupidity in the American Populace, anything that wakes them from the prozac induced stupor is worth the effort. He doesn’t get paid for this you dumbass…your country is littered with pointless “buy more shit” billboards and you bitch about original art graffiti? Get a grip … or a dunce cap. Either one will serve you well.

Gotta be honest. I stopped reading the argument awhile back. YES, it’s criminal. but that’s the point can’t you see? it’s the first thing noticed. it isn’t until after that the point sinks in. I personally have never seen anyone try to wake up the world and force them to take notice of their surrounding in such a proficient and yet dangerous way. keep in mine he may be the greatest artist of our time and yet he gives his best work away, often to find i washed away almost before it dries

banksy properly doesnt even look at these posts so why bother and i do argee with all of you , im studying graphical art a college and im doin banksy style work, there are two types of graffiti one is vandilism and the other is art , the difference is, is that art as a meaning or a purpose and that is way banksy does the work in places that dont like this sort of thing , thats the point , thats what gives it its meaning. banksy your works great but im not a suck up , im my own artist as such , and i back you up against some of these people.

[…] And then there’s the politics. Again, populist; Banksy is clearly never going out on a limb when he thumbs his nose at royalty, at corporations, at banks and government. That’s the sort of political satire that goes down easily. What makes it interesting is the mischief. He’s not just engaging in populist politics; he’s doing it in the face — often ON the face— of authority. […]

I’m doing a research paper om graffiti in my community, and none of it is like Bansky’s. His is ART, and his meaning to back it up. I would rather have his work in my neighborhood instead of gangbangers throwing up where their from, or taggers making unoriginal characters. Bansky, please visit Phoenix, AZ. We need a make over.

[…] locks’ to the railings; the panels were tagged with graffiti. The love padlock area, like Banksy’s graffiti, is loved by some people who call it art and hated by others who call it vandalism. Photo #31 by […]

I like Banksy’s art because it sends a message to everyone. So what if it’s illegal, it just shows that he cares. The questions is: ‘What isn’t fucked in this day and age?’ because, in all honesty, the government has done a swell job of fucking up everything they can get there grubby hands on. Some actual try and help but are silenced. So I think of Banksy as someone that serious about all the hate we surround ourselves in. He has the best street art that I’ve ever seen and I would it if he did come to Australia again and did more of his art.